CSA (10/8/2015): Home stretch time

I have to confess — it’s a little hard to get out of bed these days. The mornings stay dark later, and it’s wet and cold in the fields until mid-morning — and that’s on a good day. Yes, the workload is lighter — we’re not battling the weeds anymore or racing to haul in our harvests. But this is the point every year where the accumulated exhaustion of the season makes itself felt. Winter is just over the horizon and some well-deserved rest. But there’s much to get done before the real cold sets in to put the farm to bed so it will be ready for us in the spring. We’ll make it, but it takes a little extra push on those chilly mornings.

This week we continue to work our way through our winter squash harvest. This week we’re bringing you Sweet Dumpling. For those who loved those torpedo-shaped Delicatas last year, the flavor will be familiar. This is the sweetest and most tender squash we grow. The skins and seeds are both edible, and most of the time I do little more than slice it into half moons, coat in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast until soft. The flesh is so sweet it doesn’t require much more.

One of my favorite seasonal farm dinners for October is a warm kale and dumpling squash salad. I prepare the squash as above (either Sweet Dumpling or Delicata). While it’s roasting, I’ll sautee some onion and garlic on the stove top and then throw in some chopped kale (stems removed). Toss in the oil for just a minute or two, until the kale turns bright green and wilts slightly. Top with the roasted squash and hit it with a touch of salt and a pinch of cayenne — perfect for these chilly October evenings.